Minimally invasive cystectomy approaches in the treatment of bladder cancer

Abstract

Bladder cancer is the most frequently occurring tumor of the urinary system, with over 10,000 new diagnoses each year in the UK. Approximately 70% of these are non-muscle-invasive and limited to the mucosa (Ta) or submucosa (T1). These tumors are generally managed with transurethral resection followed by adjuvant intravesical chemo- or immuno-therapy and regular cystoscopic surveillance. The principal end points in the management of these tumors are prevention of recurrence and progression. Muscle-invasive bladder cancer is a life-threatening disease with overall 5-year mortality of 50%. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy, where possible followed by radical surgery, is currently considered the best standard of care. Open radical cystectomy is the gold-standard treatment for muscle-invasive or high-risk non-muscle-invasive (multifocal or recurrence after intravesical therapy) bladder cancer. Historically, this procedure has carried significant morbidity, although mortality of open radical cystectomy has reduced to 1–2% owing to improvements in anesthesia and intensive care facilities. Over the last 15 years, minimally invasive techniques in radical cystectomy have evolved, with the aim of reducing morbidity. In this article, we review the development of laparoscopic radical cystectomy and robot-assisted radical cystectomy, along with current evidence on perioperative morbidity and medium-term oncological outcomes.

Keywords::

• bladder cancer
• laparoscopic surgery
• radical cystectomy
• robotic surgery

Financial & competing interests disclosure

P Dasgupta received financial support from the Department of Health via the National Institute for Health Research comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre award to Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with King’s College London and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. He also acknowledges the support of the MRC Centre for Transplantation. KA Guru is a paid speaker for Intuitive Surgical Systems and is a partner in Simulated Surgical Systems. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.